Scott Ellison II's Reviews
Solstice Chronicles: MIA encourages using tactics and forward thinking in a genre that wouldn't normally have it, and the drone is a really neat addition, but it isn't a compelling enough reason to play. The lack of online co-op which made The Red Solstice a standout is curiously absent and supremely disappointing. Solstice Chronicles: MIA is a twin-stick shooter that doesn't leave a lasting impression, either due to its writing or ho-hum gameplay. While it plays better than its predecessor and offers a unique gameplay hooks, Solstice Chronicles: MIA doesn't do enough, and there's better offerings out there that are more fun to play.
Has-Been Heroes works for the Switch with its small and travel-focused design, but less so at home when there's other stuff on this console and other consoles to play. Has-Been Heroes could really benefit from an easier difficulty, because luck is just rarely ever on your side. There's some fun to be had, but it is far and few between each run you play. The tactics and strategy behind Has-Been Heroes is mostly satisfying, but is sadly undone by its difficulty.
nfinite Air could be a lot better, but there’s not a proper attitude to excite you to want to keep playing. It just becomes hard to recommend with how shallow the game is. If you’re hard-pressed for something on PC, or even on consoles for snowboarding, there will be other options. If this is the one you settle on, buy it when it is discounted.
There's an odd compulsion to return to Ghostbusters but the lack of thrills, excitement, and overall enjoyment permeates throughout as it avoids letting you play as your favorite Ghostbuster (old or new) while delivering unsatisfying gameplay in what the publisher calls action RPG, but hardly resembles.
The first game was neat for it’s time, and the remake breathed new life into the series. While I’m not sure we needed a sequel, there’s some really neat ideas, quests, systems, and ways of traversing I haven’t quite experienced. There’s clearly a lot of secrets to uncover and things to do in this open-world adventure we’ve seen before, but in a new way. This really feels like a throwback game from a different era mixed with new ideas. While not every component of Outcast – A New Beginning comes together the way it should, it’s still very entertaining and captivating.
I certainly like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League more than I did Gotham Knights, but only just. There’s a good game here, but it’s best moments are in the opening hours, and what follows is live service tedium that takes its own life. There are some laugh out loud moments via the cutscenes and quips said throughout the game, but it doesn’t save it from itself. This game feels forced, more so than WB’s desire to make “Suicide Squad” a household name, and cheer for the anti-hero. No amount of endgame content is gonna change my mind on what should have been finite, self-contained story. Instead, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is an infinite crisis of mundane content.
GUNHEAD is a fine game on its own, because it contains all the pieces that made CRYPTARK so good. That said, GUNHEAD feels surprisingly unambitious as it plays just like its forebear, albeit through a different lens. I’ll say that if you didn’t like the 2D side-scrolling shooting of CRYPTARK , then the 3D first-person shooting of GUNHEAD is probably more appealing. It’s unfortunate that the 3D space is hard to gain awareness of approaching dangers, and the fact it resembles the prior game so much that it doesn’t feel new or fresh. GUNHEAD contains the formula of a great a tried-and-true roguelike that you should at least try before you buy.
El Paso, Elsewhere calls back to the early 2000s with slow motion dives and psychedelic dream sequences with platforming, but it fails to feel like it's breaking new ground despite its differences. This is a Max Payne -like that doesn't have a sense of place or personality. A motel just doesn't cut it, no matter what you do with the interior. There's a lot to like with the story set around responsibility, the neo-noir writing, and even its aesthetic. But when it comes to gameplay, you'll get into a rhythm with it, but it can't keep up with its own beat. El Paso, Elsewhere is fun for its runtime, but you'll be ready for it to be over once the credits roll.
Atlas Fallen is a fun and exciting journey over the sand and under the sun with a combat system defined by enhancements and not the weapons themselves. The story is forgettable, but the experience isn't. It's a game that has a bevy of systems, yet it all feels artificially restrained for unknown reasons. I found the gameplay loop to be enjoyable from start to finish, and the game ended right when it needed to. Atlas Fallen is a little flat in its presentation, but it's a good way to spend a dozen or so hours sand-gliding and fighting as the Summer winds down.
Fun is at the forefront of AEW: Fight Forever and should be celebrated for achieving that. This is unfortunately a game that has its issues, and whether intentional or not, is a dated experience. The arcade wrestling is great, and such a different experience to what else is out there. It’s clear this was made with the purest of intentions, and is an honest to goodness game. I think as the name implies, AEW: Fight Forever will have a long life, but the next iteration will have to see some serious improvements to be competitive. AEW: Fight Forever is a newcomer game from a veteran developer, and while there’s room for improvement, this is a solid start for what is still a must-play wrestling game.
Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a solid first-person shooter that captures the 90s era well, it’s hardly anything revolutionary. It’s a nice homage that does a solid job of making you feel like the game existed back then, but modern things like mantling, bloom, and 21:9 support give way to its immersion. The game is unapologetically Warhammer 40K, and the weapons and enemies are true to the source material. The Warhammer 40,000 Universe has nothing else like Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun , and that’s what makes it so distinct in the space and genre.
While the menu navigation is clumsy, the videos are glitchy, and the ball-hitting can be spotty, this is a far better effort than the series’ last outing. The closest we have in the golf space is 2K’s PGA TOUR 2K23, but it doesn’t hold a candle to what EA SPORTS PGA TOUR offers. Having all four major golf tournaments is a huge boon to the game’s benefit, and Augusta National is well worth the purchase alone. I’m actually surprised at how well the live service element is done, the game feels more connected than most other sports games. EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is satisfying in its own right, the start of something solid, but needs more polish that I think will happen in due time with patches and updates.
Pharaoh: A New Era being a complete remake of the original game and its expansion from 24 years ago is incredible to see. This is a lovingly recreated game with many quality of life improvements and has accessibility in mind. Whether you’re new to the series or returning, there’s a lot to like here. This is a really involved game, but I wish Triskell Interactive did more with it. Pharaoh: A New Era is threadbare remake of a really good game.
LONE RUIN is good fun for however long you’re able to give it. It’s a shame that it’s rather shallow offerings across two modes can’t be more than a couple of hours. Coming off Hell is Other Demons, I was hoping for more with Cuddle Monster Games, and the reality is that we got less. LONE RUIN is visually stunning, has a variety of spells and character builds to make, but doesn’t have the longevity to keep you coming back for more.
The Callisto Protocol is a ride worth taking, but I’m flummoxed at some of the decisions made here. The melee combat is on autopilot, the weapon selection is limited, and there’s no New Game+ to return for another orbit. The brutal, gory, visceral kills that you perform on monsters is returned in equal measure to you, always bringing a smile and recoil to my face. Compromises had to be made to enjoy parts of this game, but when you can turn your brain off, it’s good fun. The Callisto Protocol doesn’t quite live up to expectations of its spiritual predecessor, but I can’t say I didn’t find it to be mostly satisfying, pustules and all.
Playing Evil West feels like a PlayStation 2 game, in a good way, in that it’s a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of game. I do wish the story didn’t feel like I was watching a made-for-TV movie on Syfy, as it was predictable and not giving me a character I actually care about. I was just there for the gore, monsters, and visual effects in all their spectacle. The gauntlet is easily the coolest thing about the combat, so Flying Wild Hog was right to make that the centerpiece. All of the other tools you’re given only enhance the experience, but combat tends to get stale from encounter to encounter as the game goes on. Evil West is a fun vampire-slaying romp while it lasts, and has an honest single-player experience with online co-op that can’t go unappreciated.
Gotham Knights features a lot of perplexing changes, and suffers from being a good game fraught with bad decisions. While I think the combat can be sluggish, and the grind is not especially interesting or engaging, it never stopped me from having fun. When the game gets out of its own way, I was having a blast solving crimes and interacting with my favorite villains. It’s these glimmers of greatness that’ll keep its hold on you just long enough to see the credits. This won’t be able to take on the mantle and legacy that Batman: Arkham Knight left behind, but that’s okay, and so is Gotham Knights.
Dakar Desert Rally is a way to experience Dakar in digestible chunks, that never overwhelms the player. Admittedly it’s in dire need of some patching, but what’s here is absolutely playable and enjoyable until then. It’s so close to greatness, but the bugs and missing features make it feel not ready and incomplete. Dakar Desert Rally is still a great introduction to the sport, and when the dust settles, what remains is a solid racing game that’s like nothing else.
Cursed to Golf has solid gameplay, a great soundtrack, a fun retro aesthetic, and even replayability, but it doesn’t have my attention. As it is currently, it just doesn’t come together like it should for a hybrid of golfing and roguelike. I’ve played side-scrolling 2D golf games, but everything is too claustrophobic for my liking, even though it’s essentially a platformer this way. The promise of never-ending gameplay is enticing, but games like Desert Golf just do that better, and the bugs left me wanting to go play something else. Cursed to Golf is far from a bad game, but it’s a game that feels too restrictive and repetitive for its own good that gets in the way of enjoying it to the fullest.
Rush Rally Origins shows its roots in rally games of yesteryear while also bringing modernization to the table. I found that neither camera view made it easier to play for long periods, I still was compelled to come back regularly. I had an absolute blast while playing, and continue to do. There’s a ridiculous amount of content to be found here, that play sessions could be as little as a few minutes or whole hours at a time. I look forward to the developer bringing their traditional and mainline rally games to PC and consoles. Rush Rally Origins embraces its origins to be an accessible, dense, and just plain good rally racer.